Nano-Engineered Carbon Fibre-Based Piezoelectric Smart Composites for Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Sensing

The integration of piezoelectric materials onto carbon fiber (CF) can add energy harvesting and self-power sensing capabilities enabling great potential for “Internet of Things” (IoT) applications in motion tracking, environmental sensing, and personal portable electronics. Herein, a CF-based smart composite is developed by integrating piezoelectric poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)/CuSCN-coated ZnO nanorods onto the CF surfaces with no detrimental effect on the mechanical properties of the composite, forming composites using two different polymer matrices: highly flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and more rigid epoxy. The PDMS-coated piezoelectric smart composite can serve as an energy harvester and a self-powered sensor for detecting variations in impact acceleration with increasing output voltage from 1.4 to 7.6 V under impact acceleration from 0.1 to 0.4 m s⁻². Using epoxy as the matrix for a CF-reinforced plastic (CFRP) device with sensing and detection functions produces a voltage varying from 0.27 to 3.53 V when impacted at acceleration from 0.1 to 0.4 m s⁻², with a lower output compared to the PDMS-coated device attributed to the greater stiffness of the matrix. Finally, spatially sensitive detection is demonstrated by positioning two piezoelectric structures at different locations, which can identify the location as well as the level of the impacting force from the fabricated device.     

Scratch hardness and deformation maps for polycarbonate and polyethylene

This paper presents results obtained from the scratching of an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and a polycarbonate (PC). The data are used to obtain various surface mechanical properties such as the hardness and also the prevailing deformation mechanisms. Scratch results are reported for the case of rigid conical indenters for various tip included angles, bulk temperatures, scratch velocities, and applied normal loads. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser profilometry data are used to study the surface deformation and damage mechanisms, and to assess the topography of the surfaces after scratching. Deformation maps are provided for these polymers under different experimental conditions, which describe the various deformation characteristics. In general, these polymers show both increasing and decreasing trends for the scratch hardness values with variation of cone angle, (4qW/ηd²; where W is the normal load, d the width of the residual scratch, and q is a characteristic contact parameter, which ranges between 1 and 2). The scratch velocity, which governs the imposed strain rate, imparts an increasing effect on the hardness values, whereas a higher bulk temperature of the material decreases the scratch hardness. The measured responses of the surface properties of these polymers are shown to greatly depend upon the kind of deformation mechanism prevalent during the scratching and associated material removal processes.     

Simulation of the fracture behavior of elastomeric composites: Mechanical interactions at material interfaces

The fracture mechanics of multilayered elastomeric composites was simulated by the Blister Test using a polyurethane (PU)/A1 base plate interfacial assembly. In the various systems studies, and hard or soft intrposed layer (∼50 μm) separated the bulk matrix (∼ 1000 μm) from the metal counterface, with a hard-to-soft modules ratio of 1.70. Debonding was performed at a constant pressurization rate 1 × 10⁻⁸ m³/s corresponding to an average delamination rate of 0.25 m/s. Lateral hardening of the composite modules (negative transversal gradient of modulus) improved the fracture resistance (by 35%) at the material interface, in conformance with analytical predictions. Particle-dispersed and liquid-doped systems exhibited a sharp attenuation (40 to 90%) in the debond pressure. The latter results were substantiated by subjective assessement using optical microscopy, and were found consistent with stress concentration and weak conhesive fracture at the resin-substrate interface, respectively.     

Rheological analysis of ceramic pastes

This paper is concerned with a number of means of characterising the rheological properties of a ceramic paste. The intrinsic flow behaviour of the paste, during upsetting, is studied experimentally by using multi coloured paste samples, as well as by a finite element numerical computation. The flow behaviour of the paste is approximated by an elasto-viscoplastic material constitutive model and implemented by using an established finite element code. The material flow properties, which are necessary for the implementation of the numerical model, were obtained using the squeeze film and hardness indentation test configurations. The flow fields generated by the simulation are shown to be a good accord with the experimental observations. The experimental procedure for selecting the material parameters which are necessary for the implementation of the numerical model is described. The accuracy of the numerical method described is also evaluated by comparing the simulation results with experimental data obtained from the net upsetting force against the imposed relative displacement behaviour and the flow visualisation of deformed coloured layers. In these respects, a comparison of the finite element model predictions and the experimental results demonstrates a good mutual agreement.     

Diffusion of large molecules in polymers: a measuring technique based on microdensitometry in the infra-red

A technique based on infra-red microdensitometry has been developed for studying the centre-of-mass translational diffusion of large additive molecules in polymeric matrices. In this technique the diffusion broadening with time of a known initial concentration profile of the additive within the bulk polymer is monitored. The shape of the concentration profile after diffusion broadening readily yields D, the diffusion constant; it may also yield the concentration dependence of D where this is significant. The technique is found to be reasonably flexible, and applicable to a number of polymer—additive combinations. Values of D in the range 10^?5 to 10^?10 cm²/sec and initial additive concentrations of down to 0.3% may be studied. The technique is viable over a wide range of temperatures and pressures. Some results obtained by this technique are presented, for the case of various linear long-chain amides diffusing in low density polyethylene.     

Orthographic and lexical processing of visual letter strings.

Three experiments tested whether orthographic and lexical properties of a letter string influence the time to search for a component letter. 102 Canadian undergraduates served as Ss. Orthographic redundancy, defined by single-letter position-specific frequency, facilitated the search of targets specified prior to and simultaneously with the letter string. Words were searched faster than nonwords when the target followed the letter string. Neither orthographic nor lexicality had significant effects when the position of the target within the string was certain. Results are consistent with a hierarchical-levels model of word perception in which the activation of detectors at different levels is constrained by task demands. (French abstract) (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rotary injection reaction injection molding (RI-RIM). Part II: Interfacial segregation of release systems

This paper describes the shear imposed interfacial segregation of release systems for the facilitated attenuation of polyurethane (PU) adhesion to metal coun-terfaces using a RI-RIM system. It is shown that the migration rate of the dispersed release additives due to a shear imposed stress in the resin fluid is much greater than that arising from Fickian diffusion, thereby removing a vital constraint from conventional practice. The novel rotary injection RIM system is presented to simulate the on-line injection and shear induced interfacial segregation in model PU/abherent systems. A wide range of recipes comprising single (liquids or solids) and multicomponent (liquid-liquid and solid-liquid) release materials were injected into the polymerizing resin mixture to provide cohesively weak and friable “particle” boundary layer assemblies at the PU/metal interface. An instrumented Blister Test was employed to evaluate the quality of the molded interfaces in terms of adhesion and the concentration distribution of the injected species in the final cured moldings was determined through high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). A comparison of the results on the shear modified and the compounded interfaces confirm an accentuated lateral migration of the additives to the interface resulting in an appreciable diminution in the adhesion of the system. Finally, transport models are suggested to account for the observed augmented transport.